Recently, we have been getting lots of requests for candidates with their working at heights tickets. A working at heights ticket is required for anyone who is going to be working at heights throughout the course of their role. This includes jobs such as working on elevated work platforms and scaffolding.

It has been reported that in NSW, the construction industry accounts for almost half of injuries occurring from working at heights. With safety being a huge priority for us, we have carefully been exploring the guidelines for ensuring safety on site for any of our suitable candidates.

SafeWork NSW has published the following guide, which they say will not only prevent accidents but save lives.

• Ensure work involving the risk of a fall is carried out on a suitable working platform and wherever possible undertake the work from the ground or underneath the work area rather than from above.
• Ensure adequate edge protection is in place such as scaffolding or guardrails.
• Ensure a competent person checks all scaffolds and that a handover certificate is provided prior to use.
• Ensure all open penetrations are securely covered or protected by physical barriers.
• Provide your workers with a safe means of access and egress to all relevant areas of the worksite.
• Only use fall prevention and fall arrest systems where other higher order controls are not reasonably practicable.
• Establish and test emergency procedures in relation to the use of a fall arrest system.
• Ladders should only be used for access and egress or for short-term work where other higher levels of control such as working platforms or scaffold are not reasonably practical.
• When using ladders, ensure you have three points of contact at all times and never over-reach. Consider using a platform ladder.
• Provide your workers with the relevant equipment, information, training and instruction to work safely at heights.

At Oz Labour Solutions, we already go above and beyond these guidelines to ensure safety and wellbeing of all staff. When screening our candidates, we ensure that:

• All relevant training has been obtained and tickets are up to date
• Full PPE required is provided
• The role is explained, and the candidate is made aware of all the risks
• We do a site visit with candidates before they start, to ensure they are aware of any potential risks and hazards before beginning the job
• Tool box talks and all inductions are attended

With regards to clients, we also:

• Get a full breakdown of the planned works
• Do random site visits to ensure our candidates are kept safe within the workplace
• Ensure that any hazards or risks reported by candidates are relayed back to client as we find communication is key.

If you are interested in getting support with your labour hire needs with an organisation who are focused on safety, please contact us at info@ozlaboursolutions.com